“Sex—or‘making love,’ as it’s called when it’s with someone you love—should, inmy humble opinion, be measured in minutes… I mean, passes… at least.”
Hethen lowered his gaze, a mischievous smile on his lips as he came closer,holding a thought I could not decipher.
“Perhaps…we should do something about that.”
Myheartbeat picked up immediately. I bit my lip and looked down. I wanted towithdraw, but at the same time, I wanted him to come even closer.
“Youdo that, when you’re unsure,” he said, “biting your lip like this.” He placedhis finger on my lower lip and gently pushed it down, releasing it from myteeth.
Iheld my breath, my heart was thrumming, and I saw little tinkling spotsblurring my vision.
Hecame closer then, his lips just an inch from mine.
“Beforeyou fall unconscious,” he said, his hand gently touching the side of my neck,“you should at least have a reason…”
Iinhaled. My mind was racing with a million thoughts and at the same time emptyas a blank page. Still holding my breath, I felt it—his warm lips on mine—anda feeling like an electric shock zipped through my body.
Andthen everything went dark.
Ilost consciousness.
Again.
Chapter 18
“Youknow, there’s more to it than that. You should really stay awake,” he said as Iopened my eyes. I was lying with my head on his chest, looking sideways at the ocean.
“I’msorry,” I said and lifted myself up to sit.
“Don’tbe. I’m still enjoying the ego boost when I cause such a reaction.” He stood upand offered his hand. “Come, I still want to show you something.”
Itook his hand and stood.
Wewalked on the very edge of the water where small waves washed over a shore,building tiny sand dunes. I stopped for a moment, looking at the ground.
Iwatched my feet on the sand as the salty water washed over them. It wasmesmerizing. Every little wave brought some sand on my feet, and as it retreated,the grains found their way between my toes. With every wave, I was also slidingdeeper into the sand, the water washing away some of the sand under my feet.
Istepped forward and pressed one foot on the wet sand. The small area of sandaround my foot dried out, like a temporary drought at the rim of my sole. WhenI moved my foot, the dry sand flooded with water.
Ikept walking, looking at my feet, drying and flooding the little islands ofsand underneath. As we walked parallel to the water, the waves every now andthen washed the collected sand off my toes. J didn’t talk, but he held my handand kept looking at me.
“Ilove the ocean, J. It’s amazing!”
Hesmiled. “I thought you would like it!”
Hebrought our laced hands to his lips and kissed the back of my hand. “But thereis something else I want to show you.” Then he looked forward and narrowed hiseyes to see better. “We’re getting close.”
“Closeto what?”
“Well,since you’re enjoying our vegetation so much, I thought you should see theforest around the river.”
Infront of us, I saw the ocean entering deeper into the beach, making a smallbay. I could not see the end of it - it was hidden behind the trees. As we walkedtoward it, I realized that it wasn’t really a bay. The water just continuedinto the land. And the forest around it was—ah!—simplybreathtaking.
“Wecall this the Falls River,” he said, answering my unspoken question as wereached the river’s shore. “This is the sweet water, and it runs into the sea. Upthere,” he said, letting go of my hand and pointing with his finger to the topof the small hill, “is a beautiful waterfall, hence the name, and it comescrashing down over a cave system.” He looked at me sideways and smiled. Then hewalked a few IPs ahead of me while I stopped to view the hill, which was completelycovered in trees with dense and lush foliage.
Ilooked back at him. J was about four IPs away when, all of a sudden, I shivered.I was somehow… too far from him. I didn’t understand why this was a problem,but something seemed very wrong. I slowly started walking toward him. He turnedand stretched his arm to me. “Come,” he said and smiled. “We can’t walk therenow, it’s a bit late, but we’ll do it on our way ba—”
Atthat moment, several things happened at once. J’s jaw dropped, his eyes open widein a shocked stare. The next second, his expression hardened into something Icould only define as ready for combat. His mouth shut tight, his eyes narrowslits and his head thrust forward, he started to sprint toward me.
Icould not hear anything. I knew there was something very wrong, and I should dosomething to help myself. It was clear I was in danger, but all I could see washim running toward me, his legs flexing and bending inuniform motion, skin stretched over muscles, using his arms to gain speed. Hischest was packed tight with muscles tugging against one another, stomachmuscles forming a solid wall around his abdomen. I knew I should be scared, butall I could think was how beautiful he was.
TwoIPs away, he stretched his legs as he leaped forward, stretching his arms andfolding his hands in a double fist as he flew through the air like an arrow,aiming at something very close to me. As I turned my head to follow his motion,I saw a large jaw with pointy fangs open to grab my body from the side. As itlunged, the animal twisted its head to clasp its jaws around my waist. In thisposition, the animal’s belly was turned toward J, and it met his double fistwith a dull thud.
Thesound was back on.
Theanimal was roaring, falling backward from the hit. Its closing jaws scratchedmy arm and stomach, and I fell sideways away from where J had landed on theanimal. The sand cushioned my fall, and I looked backward to J. The animal wason its back, but it quickly turned itself around.
J’sarm was grabbing something from the other side of his hip, and with the nextquick movement, I saw him stabbing a sharp metal piece into the animal’s chestright between the front legs. The animal was struggling violently,
